Thursday, December 27, 2012

Diary of an Incubator: Which Trimester Was The Best?

Most mums I've talked to say they thought the second trimester was the best.

Well, with three weeks to go, I can honestly say there was no 'best trimester' for me.  They've all had their pros and cons.

First Trimester
Pros

I could still wear my normal clothes.
I could still play tennis.
I didn't look pregnant (well, I did start getting a bump quite early but, since it was winter, I could hide it more easily).

Cons
Morning sickness.
Trying to keep the pregnancy a secret until 12 weeks (apart from telling family and a few close friends).  This is hard when you're feeling unwell.  You have to soldier on like everything's normal otherwise some people get suspicious very quickly (especially in the country where some people are OBSESSED with asking you if you're pregnant every five minutes).

Second Trimester
Pros
I wasn't too large so the pregnancy wasn't too much of a strain on my body.  I was still getting a good night's sleep and wasn't in any pain.
I could be open about my pregnancy and people started making concessions for me (i.e. lifting heavy things).
I could feel the baby move.  This was comforting.

Cons
No immune system.  This is not everyone's experience.  The morning sickness ceased after about 13-14 weeks, but I seemed to catch every bug that was going around.  This meant the second trimester was not so enjoyable.
I had to start wearing maternity clothes.  It became more and more of a challenge to get dressed each morning as I'd discover I had outgrown more and more garments.

Third Trimester
Pros
I was forced to rest.  This can be a good thing.
When I ask Duncan for help, he can't accuse me of being lazy haha.
I knew if the baby was born now, he/she would have a high chance of survival.

Cons
Right now I'm struggling to sleep at night - aching legs, sore lower back, frequent toilet excursions, breathlessness, feeling faint etc.  Duncan isn't getting a good night's sleep either because of my constant tossing and turning.
I can't do all the things I want to do because I get tired so easily.
Some people stare at me when I'm out in public.

What were your experiences in each trimester?  Feel free to share.

1 comment:

Wendy said...

Hmmm, good question. I was exhausted throughout all three of my pregnancies. My first pregnancy I had almost no morning sickness, but the exhaustion was terrible.

My second pregnancy was in Japan. It was fraught with anxiety and a sense of helplessness due to the Japanese medical system plus a former Caesar plus a gestational blood condition (low platelets) that cause the doctors to mildly panic.

I'd be tempted to go for the middle trimester, because I enjoyed "looking pregnant". The feeling of a baby growing inside me was very special.

By third trimester I was very uncomfortable. Being short waisted, the babies jammed up against my ribs pretty early on and caused breathlessness. I also had lower back pain from quite early on. By third trimester I just wanted my body back!